The shortlisted entrants have recently been announced for the 5th annual Human Resources Excellence Awards* - conducted by Human Resources magazine in conjunction with KPMG Consulting. John Denton, consultant at KPMG Consulting, commented: "People and culture are two of the key buzzwords in today's digital age. Organisations are realising that, as the pace of change increases - through new technologies and ideas - it is these aspects that are the defining elements of success. As a result, HR departments and employees are increasingly gaining more strategic input into the running of an organisation.
"As businesses become increasingly customer-focused in their approach, it is essential that companies learn to unlock the potential of their employees, if they are to succeed. The shortlisted organisations for these Awards have all demonstrated their commitment to achieving this and are successfully working towards giving the HR department the recognition it deserves as a major strategic player in an organisation."
Shortlisted entrants in the 'Excellence in Change Management' category were:
- BAe Systems
- Forte Hotel Group
- Astron
John Denton continued: "The quality of the entrants in this category was very high. The shortlisted entrants all had specific project plans, with predetermined outcomes, time lines, milestones, objectives and a review process. The entrants all demonstrated change management programmes that were part of a well thought out strategy, unlike the quick fixes that many companies often try to implement.
Morice Mendoza, editor of Human Resources added: "The Awards have been running for five years and recognise and reward excellence in HR operations, promoting understanding of the benefits available and helping organisations to identify their strengths and weaknesses. This is more important to organisations than ever before, as the pace of business quickens and becomes more complex, so companies are finding they need to focus much more on HR issues. These Awards work to reflect this, and to identify those companies who are best placed to succeed in the ever-changing business environment."
Other companies shortlisted for the HR Excellence Awards 2000 are:
Category: Best contribution of HR to overall business strategy
- Glaxo Wellcome UK Ltd
- Forte Hotel Group
- HSBC Holdings Plc
Category: Best merger/acquisition strategy
- BT Cellnet
- CGU Insurance
- Granada Food Services
Category: Best recruitment strategy
- Granada Group Plc
- Sun Microsystems Ltd
- Britannic Assurance Plc
Category: Best incentive strategy
- Granada Group Plc
- Littlewoods Retail Ltd
- British Airways
Category: Best use of IT in HR
- BT
- Norwich Union
- Microsoft UK
Category: Excellence in knowledge management
- The Post Office
- BT
Category: Best employer brand
- Young and Rubicam (The Media Edge)
- Air Miles
- Lancashire Constabulary
Category: Excellence in community involvement
- Inland Revenue
- MoD
- Child Benefit Centre
- DHL International (UK) Ltd
* The winners of the HR Excellence Awards will be announced on June 22 2000, and will feature in the July issue of Human Resources.
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